Car for cable railroads



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- H. ROOT.

. GAR FOB. CABLE R'AILROADS. N0.263,22-7. Patented Aug. 1882,

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('No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. ROOT. I 7 CAR FOR CABLE RAILROADS. No. 263,227. Patented Aug. 22,1882. 2 q;

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. ROOT.

CAR FOR CABLE RAILROADS. No. 263,227. Patented Aug. 22, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY ROOT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR FOR CABLE RAILROAD S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,227, dated August22, 1882. Application filed March 28, 1882. (No model.) I

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY R001, of the cityand county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented anImproved Car for Cable Railroads; and I do hereby declare the followingto be. a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the cars which areemployed upon cable railroads; and it consists in combining with agrip-car for cable railroads, mounted on supporting-springs, the rigidframe supported directlyfrom the axles and having a fender fixed to itsfront end, all as fully hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure 1 is a viewof my invention attached to a dummyand car combined. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 shows itsattachment to a dummy. Fig. dis a detail.

In this class of roads the dummy or gripcar travels in front of theattached cars, so as to give the operator an unobstructed view of thetrack. This grip-car is usually made up of two frames, one of which ismounted upon springs and carries the seats for passengers, forming anopen car. The other frame may be attached to boxes directly upon theaxle;

or it may be attached to the bottom of the boxes which carry thesprings, and it thus earries the gripping apparatus at a nearly fixedheight above the surface of the track. The frame which is supported uponthe springs has a considerable range of movement, and as it extends somedistance beyond the wheels the forward end has a wide range of movementfrom variable loads and from the plunging motion caused by theinequalities in the track. It does not therefore furnish that rigidsupport which is required for carrying the fender at a fixed distanceabove the surface of the street, and at the same time so close to it atall times as to make it impossible for it to pass over any persons whomay fall in front of the cars.

In all cases where the entire route is operated by cable I consider thatmy car patented August 30,1881, No. 246,420, is preferable. In othercases the device may be connected With the ordinary dummy.

To the forward end of the rigid truck-frame, and in front of the wheels,Isecure a plank or frame, which extends about six inches beyond thefront of the car. This frame extends across the whole width of the car,and is not over two or three inches above the surface of the street.Knees or braces secure it firmly to the truck-frame, and may assist aperson in danger by furnishing points to be seized and held.

The front edge of the fender should preferably be rounded, and coveredwith rubber,

leather, or any suitable soft material to pre vent injury.

If preferred,the fender may be made in two parts inclined toward eachother and meeting at an angle in the center; but I have found that ifplaced straight across the front it will be all that is required, as itstrikes the body below the center and will thus pick it up and depositit upon the fender instead of rolling it under, and this is the safestway of disposing of a person struck by the car.

This fender may be so attached to the frame as to be adjustable to anydesired height above the surface of the road.

The sides of the car may have slats or wirenetting fixed to it andextending down to a point near the surface of the road, so as to preventany person accidentally falling between the wheels from the sides.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a dummy or grip-car for cable railways, the combination, with thesupporting-wheels and axles and the frame mounted upon springs, of asupplemental frame supporteddirectly by the axle and having the fenderfixed to the front end, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereto set my hand.

HENRY ROOT.

Witnesses:

S. H. Nounsn, G. W. EMERsoN.

